Fire was here long before we were. It has played a productive role in the natural systems of the Midwest for centuries, revitalizing the landscape.

Along with grazing animals like bison, fire kept the tallgrass prairie in present-day Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois, and Missouri healthy. It’s estimated that, before European settlement, the prairie burned naturally every four or five years. Fire removed dead vegetation and returned nutrients to the soil, nurturing native grasses and wildflowers. It kept shrubs and trees from invading the open grasslands. Quite simply, it kept the prairie prairie.

Where the prairie met the woodlands, oak savannas supported a variety of plants and wildlife. These open woodlands allowed sunlight to reach the ground, where prairie grasses and wildflowers flourished. They relied on periodic fires to keep their understory open. Fast-moving wildfires left the oak trees unharmed.

Along the Great Lakes, jack pine forests also thrived on fire. Jack pine evolved to withstand high temperatures and actually needs heat to regenerate. The tree’s seeds are protected inside sturdy, sealed cones, which remain on the branches. The heat from a fire melts the cones’ waxy coating, releasing seeds onto the freshly recharged soil after the fire passes. Jack pine stands typically burn every 30 to 50 years.

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